Sonny Bill Williams: 'I would have entertained' a test switch to Samoa

Former All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams has said he would have considered switching his national allegiance from New Zealand to Samoa had the rules allowed it.

Speaking to Stuff.co.nz, Williams explained that he would have considered switching the All Blacks for Manu Samoa after winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup – his second.

“One hundred per cent,” Williams said when asked if he would have considered the switch

“I kind of did it [representing Samoa] but going back to Tana [Umaga] and what he was trying to achieve at the Blues.

“Obviously, we didn't achieve everything we wanted to, but I was in that space that I was well aware of what we could represent and what we could achieve as Polynesians and Māori. So, yes, I definitely would have entertained that idea.”

Commenting on the state of the Pacific Island teams, Williams believes that the changes in the eligibility laws is a step in the right direction. 

“No one wants to see the All Blacks beating Tonga by 100 points, because that’s not a true representation of the competitiveness and the quality of players that Tonga has produced,” Williams said.

“If we had more competitive game, more high-profile players playing in them, then you’d get more money in the game. We all the know the politics in sport, especially in the islands, but it's a step in the right direction [the eligibility change].

Williams won 58 caps for the All Blacks over a nine-year period winning two Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015.